145
145 SUN TZU – CALTHROP, Everard Ferguson, Captain. The Book of War. London: John Murray, 1908 “equivalent to a précis of clausewitz – and infinitely more interesting” – the first english sun tzu First edition of the first recognised translation into English of the Chinese classic of strategic philosophy; genuinely uncommon on the market. Calthrop served in the Far East as a language officer, initially as an observer of the Russo-Japanese War. His first essay at translation was issued, perhaps privately, in Tokyo in 1905, followed by the publication of this “more substantial edition” (p. 92), the first UK edition. As a result Lionel Giles, the leading Sinologist of the period, was prompted to produce his own translation in 1910, in the introduction commenting somewhat acerbically on Calthrop’s work: “the translator’s knowledge of Chinese was far too scanty to fit him to grapple with the manifold difficulties of Sun Tzu”. However, this should not to detract from the importance of Calthrop’s translation in stimulating interest in this founding text of strategic thought, or on its impact on contemporary military debate; the anonymous reviewer for the United Services Magazine was deeply impressed, noting that “the Sayings of Sun and Wu make one ‘furiously to think’ . . . we have been furnished with a treatise
144
144 STOWE, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Boston: John P. Jewett & Company, 1852 in the deluxe binding First edition, with all points as called for by BAL , in the publisher’s deluxe binding. The novel was issued in three bindings, without priority – in paper wrappers, cloth without extra embellishment, and this “extra gilt binding” (with colour variations). It is much scarcer than the regular cloth. “In the emotion-charged atmosphere of mid- 19th-century America Uncle Tom’s Cabin exploded like a bombshell . . . the social impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin on the United States was greater than that of any book before or since” ( PMM ). Its international influence was summarised by Charles Francis Adams, John Adams’ grandson, who served as United States minister to the Court of St James during
the Civil War: “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin . . . exercised, largely from fortuitous circumstances, a more immediate, considerable and dramatic world-influence than any other book ever printed” (Adams, p. 79). This copy has all the first issue points, with all original readings uncorrected and no later printing statements or Rand imprints present. 2 volumes, octavo. Original brown vertical-fine-ribbed cloth, spines lettered in gilt, front cover vignettes stamped in gilt, additional blocking to spines and covers in gilt (unique to the deluxe binding), cream endpapers, gilt edges. Title vignettes and 6 wood-engraved plates. Contemporary pencilled ownership signature of one “P. Salcott” to front free endpapers and title pages. Spine ends sympathetically reinforced. Light foxing and occasional finger-soiling to contents. A very good, bright copy. ¶ BAL 19343, binding C; Grolier American 100 , 61; Printing and the Mind of Man 332. Charles Francis Adams, Trans- Atlantic Historical Solidarity , 2017. £20,000 [158245]
74
CHRISTMAS 2022
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker